Have been suckered in by Harris Ranch too many times because it looks so special have always walked away so disappointed with too big a hole in my pocket as well for what we got. Do it once and pick carefully something you think they can't screw up and have the experience. Because it is a pretty visual oasis on this bleak stretch of highway. When in doubt on roads like this - the fish sandwich, fries and coke at McDonalds. Or choose instead Highway 99 to go from south to north and vice versa - far more scenic and historic with moms and pops along the way.

I drive to San Francisco every year for the Christmas-New Year holidays with a full gas tank.

I leave around 6-7 a.m., before rush hour. We have a pit stop along the way, maybe two, then, being a Costco member, fill up the tank at the Costco in Livermore - it's right off the freeway, and cheaper than gas in SF. If we're desperately hungry at that point, a $1.50 hot dog fits the bill.

Usually, we're at the hotel about 12:30 p.m., and then off for a quick Dim Sum lunch.

As other posters have said, there's nothing worth stopping for but fast-food, and Harris Ranch, but when we pass it, we're more anxious to get to SF, than to eat.

Santa Nella exit has the cheapest gas on the 5. Stop at Anderson Pea Soup for clean and conveniently located restrooms and free cheddar cheese sprad samples that might satify your appetite till you get to San Francisco.

There is plenty of real food on the 99, and in Modesto. Which actually is fairly far from the 5, unfortunately, about 30 minutes at that point in Modesto. Wolfsen's in Gustine is a great choice closer to the 5 (about 5 to 10 miles from the Gustine exit off of 5).

You have to be blessed with very little traffic, a lead foot, and no CHP officers to make it from LA proper to SF proper in six hours. I can go 90 with the best of them, and my personal best time from West LA to my old house in Bernal Heights was 6 hours, 20 minutes. Most of the time it takes me seven, or more. If you don't want McDonalds, (or IN N Out, which is also a 5 option) I say slow down, get off the freeway, or better yet, take the 99 or the 101, and really find out that real food does exist outside the big city. You just have to be willing to look for it a bit harder, which makes the hunt that much more fun.

And if you do take the 99, Hanna's is an excellent recommendation. You can cut over to the 5 on 132 very easily from there as well (in about 30 minutes, but saves you from a boring stretch on the 205 further up).

Thanks for the Highway 99 recommendations. We always try to take this route when going up and down the state because it is far more interesting and there are lots of good food destinations along the way - we like the Dala Horse restaurant in Kingsburgs for their Swedish items and that crazy fruit stand place south of Fresno to pick up bulk raisins. There needs to be a separate thread for dining surprises on Highway 99. Anyone taking Highway 5 deserves the food they get when just a few minutes more, they can enjoy the dazzling and rich sweep of the Central California farmlands on 99.